Research Collaboration

UNU-INTECH research activities entail extensive collaboration with colleagues at universities and research institutions around the world. The following are some on-going collaborative activities:

. As part of a new research project on building innovation systems in natural resource based industries three UNU-INTECH researchers, Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, Andy Hall and Lynn Mytelka, are providing backstopping support to researchers in six ACP countries (Senegal, Cameroun, South Africa, Kenya, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea). The project is funded by the ACP-EU Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ( CTA ) in the Netherlands.

. T wo UNU-INTECH researchers, Sunil Mani and Léa Velho are contributing to a forthcoming book on demand-based policy making edited by Prof. Louk de la Rive Box of the University of Maastricht. The two researchers presented papers at a workshop on " Providing Demand " funded by the Dutch Ministry of Development Cooperation, DGIS, titled: Building a Critical Mass of Researchers in the Least Developed Countries. New Challenges (Léa Velho) and " Epistemic Communities and Informed Policy Making for Promoting Innovations: Cases from Developing Economies " (Sunil Mani). The workshop took place in Leiden, The Netherlands, from 2-6 May 2004.

. The UNU-INTECH comparative study on partnerships in biotechnology has established links with researchers in the UK (based at the Open University and the University of Strathclyde) to construct a database on partnership projects in agricultural biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. A pilot database has been completed and is currently being tested with information collected in three countries. Additional funding is being sought to improve the design and extend data collection to more countries. The study is coordinated by Prof. Léa Velho at UNU-INTECH.

. As a direct outcome of a regional conference on building innovation clusters organised by the University of Dar es Salaam in Bagamoyo, Tanzania from 17-21 February 2004, Prof. Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka (UNU-INTECH) and Dorothy McCormick (Director of the Institute for Development Studies, University of Nairobi) will co-edit a book titled "The African Cluster: Pattern, Practice and Policies for Upgrading". UNU-INTECH is organising an author's workshop in Maastricht in June 2004 to review material for the book.

. As co-convenor of the European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI) Working Group on Science and Technology for Development, Dr. Sunil Mani is facilitating an online review of the World Telecommunications Development Report 2003. The review involves researchers at a number of European Universities and ITU staff.